Control Box For Electrical Actuators,Especially For Adjustable Furniture

ABSTRACT

A control box for electrical actuators comprises a cabinet consisting of a lower part ( 2 ) containing a control printed circuit board and provided with a row of gates ( 3 ) for various plugs, and an upper part ( 4 ) with a power supply and optionally also a battery pack. The lower part ( 2 ) is configured as an independent closed housing, and the upper part ( 4 ) is configured as two independent closed housings ( 5, 6 ). The upper side of the lower part ( 2 ) is provided with an area ( 7 ) for receiving a lower side of the two independent housings ( 5, 6 ) of the upper part, and means (13, 14; 16, 17) are provided in the lower part and the two housings of the upper part for securing the housings of the upper part to the lower part. The two housings of the upper part do not or essentially do not extend outside the area on the upper part.

The invention relates to a control box for electrical actuators,preferably for adjustable articles of furniture, of the type defined inthe introductory portion of claim 1.

In furniture, e.g., actuators are used for causing the adjusting of thearticle of furniture. It may e.g. be the adjustment of the support facefor a mattress in a bed, the backrest of a chair, height adjustment oftables, etc.

The actuator or actuators is/are connected by a cable to the controlbox, which contains control electronics, a power supply connected to themains, and optionally a battery pack consisting of rechargeablebatteries or a floating battery. The control box also has connectionsfor at least one hand-set and optionally additional control panels.Examples of hospital beds are described in EP 488 552 to J. Nesbit Evans& Co. Ltd. as well as in WO 01/47340 to Hill-Rom Services, Inc.

An example of such a control box is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Itis a control box from LINAK A/S having the type designation CB12. Thecontrol box consists of a cabinet 1 with a lower part 2 containing acontrol printed circuit board and provided with a row of gates 3perpendicularly from the lower part for various plugs. An upper part 4,divided into two compartments 5, 6, is secured to the lower part 1 byscrews, where a transformer for the power supply is arranged in the onecompartment 5, and a battery pack is arranged in the other compartment6.

The control box is excellent, except that it is constructed rigidly,i.e. it must be determined from the beginning whether it is to bededicated to a specific purpose, or whether a standard version is to bemade, which is overdimensioned in certain cases. In addition, the boxtakes up disproportionately much space.

The object of the invention is to provide a more flexible configurationof the control box thus known.

This is achieved according to the invention in that the control box isconstructed as stated in claim 1. When the lower part is constructed asan independent closed housing and the upper part as two independentclosed housings, it is possible to construct a control box from aplurality of basic modules which satisfies given specifications, and atthe same time it is also easier to repair a defective control box merelyby replacing the defective module. Further, it is also easier to makefuture upgradings and adaptations of the control box by replacing amodule.

Further features of the invention will appear from the followingdependent claims, and as explained more fully below.

A control box according to the invention will be described more fullybelow with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a known control box,

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a control box according to theinvention, shown in an assembled stated,

FIG. 3 shows the box for the power supply, seen from below,

FIG. 4 shows the box for the battery pack, seen from below,

FIG. 5 shows the lower part, seen from above, with a locking element forplugs, and

FIG. 6 shows the control box, seen from behind, with a slightlydifferent configuration of the locking connection.

The control box according to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 6,are particularly intended for hospital and nursing beds as well astherapy beds.

As will appear from FIG. 2 of the drawing, the control box comprises alower part 2 in the form of a flat rectangular closed box-shaped housingwith a plane area 7 on the upper side. Along the one long side of thelower part, this plane area 7 is defined by an elevation having aplurality of upstanding gates 3 for various cable connections to acontrol printed circuit board contained in the lower part 2. The gatesare used for the connection of actuators, handsets and optionally footcontrols as well as control panels, e.g. ACP. Two closed box-shapedhousings 5, 6, which constitute the upper part 4 of the control box, maybe arranged on the plane area 7 of the lower part 2. The one housing 5contains a power supply which is connected to the mains and is based ona transformer. The upper side of the housing 5 is inclined 8 at one endwith a gate for a mains cable 9. The power supply is connected to thecontrol printed circuit board in the lower part 2 by a cable 10, forwhich a gate is provided at the side of the mains cable 9. The inclinedportion 8 and the gates are configured such that the plugs on the cables9, 10 as a whole are disposed within the circumscribed rectangular boxof the control box. The height of the housing 5 and the gates 3 in thelower part 2 are configured such that the plugs therein are likewisedisposed within the circumscribed rectangular box of the control box.The other housing 6 of the upper part corresponds essentially to thefirst one, apart from the area with the mains connection cable, and itcontains a battery pack consisting of rechargeable batteries. A platemember with a plug 11 protrudes from the side of the housing 6. In thefirst housing 5, at the adjoining corner, there is a notch 12 forreceiving the plug 11 and with a gate for this for mutual electricalconnection of the two housings. The two housings 5, 6 are secured to thelower part 2 as follows: A plurality of T-shaped slots 13 are providedat the lower side in the side of the housings 5, 6 which face toward therow of gates 3, said slots engaging a strip 14 with slots on the row ofgates 3. The lower side of the housings 5, 6 is configured with anL-shaped strip 15, where the free flange is configured with slots 16. Aplurality of T-shaped slots are provided on the upper side in the longside of the lower part 2 opposite the row of gates 3. When the twohousings 5, 6 from the rear side are slid inwards on the upper side 7 ofthe lower part, the two sets of the slots 13, 14; 16, 17 are mutuallyengaged, whereby the lower part 2 and the housings 5, 6, whichconstitute the upper part 4, are mutually locked. For this purpose,releasable snap lock connections are provided in the slots 17 along thelong side of the lower part 2.

In order to lock the plugs in the row of gates 3, there is a beam-shapedlocking element 18 with recesses 19, which can just accommodate theouter end of the plugs. The beam is slid from the side inwards over therow of gates 3 with the plugs and is secured in a snap lock connectionto the lower part 2, whereby the plugs are locked against unintentionalwithdrawal.

In the event that the control box cannot be mounted for some reason,e.g. owing to lacking height at the location where the control box is tobe arranged, the parts of the box may be mounted separately. For thispurpose, the gates 3 in the lower part 2 may be covered by a cover plate20 in cooperation with the locking element 18, as will appear from FIG.5.

FIG. 6 of the drawing shows a configuration of the control box with aslightly different configuration of the locking connection. The lowerside of the housing 6, of which only a lower part 6 a is shown, isprovided with two bosses 21 intended to cooperate with two resilientlegs 22 in the lower part 2. The two resilient legs 22 have an openingfor receiving the two bosses 21 on the housing 6. The bosses 21 areconfigured as an inclined plane so that they may easily be slid on tothe resilient legs 22 and lockingly rest on the rim of the openingtherein with a straight terminating end. To release the lockingconnection, the two resilient legs 22 are pressed down into theunderlying recess, so that the bosses 21 on the lower side of thehousing clear them. The L-shaped strip 15 has three ribs, two of whichconstitute end walls, and these ribs are fitted in slots 17 in a notchin the lower part. The notch accommodates the entire L-shaped strip.Forwardly on the lower side of the housing 6, there are three T-shapedslots 13 which engage a strip 14 behind the row of gates on the lowerpart 2. The strip 14 is received in a notch in the housing 6 where theslots 13 are positioned. The two outermost T-shaped slots 13 areone-sided so as to match the two outermost ribs, which simultaneouslyconstitute end walls of the strip 14.

Since the lower part 2 and the housings 5, 6 are of a relatively modestvolume, they are also simpler and easier to make moisture- andwaterproof. The inaccuracies which are a consequence of a large cabinet,are obviated here.

1. A control box for electrical actuators, comprising a cabinet (1)consisting of a lower part (2) containing a control printed circuitboard and provided with a row of gates (3) for various plugs and anupper part (4) with a power supply, wherein the lower part (2) isconfigured as an independent closed housing, the upper part (4) isconfigured as two independent closed housings (5, 6), the lower part (2)is provided with an area (7) for receiving a lower side of the twoindependent housings (5, 6) of the upper part, the lower part (2) andthe two housings (5, 6) of the upper part are provided with means (13,14; 16, 17) for securing the two housings of the upper part to the lowerpart, and the housings of the upper part do not extend or essentially donot extend outside the area (7) on the upper part.
 2. A control boxaccording to claim 1, wherein the lower part (2) is configured as a flatrectangular box with the plane area (7) on an upper side.
 3. A controlbox according to claim 1, wherein the gates (3) are arranged along along side of the lower part (2) and adjoining the area (7) of thehousings (5, 6) of the upper part, and the gates are upstanding from thelower part.
 4. A control box according to claim 1, wherein the upperside of the box (5) for the power supply is inclined (8) at one end witha gate for the mains cable (9), so the plug for the mains cable isdisposed within the circumscribed rectangular box of the control box. 5.A control box according to claim 4, wherein the power supply isconnected to the control printed circuit board by a cable (10), forwhich there is a gate at the side of the mains cable.
 6. A control boxaccording to claim 1, wherein a plate member with a plug (11) protrudesfrom the box (6) with the battery pack, and a notch is provided in thebox for the power supply at the adjoining corner for receiving the plugand with a gate for this for mutual electrical connection of the twoboxes (5, 6).
 7. A control box according to claim 1, wherein the twoboxes (5, 6) of the upper part are secured to the lower part in that thelower side at the side of the boxes facing toward the row of gates (3)is configured with a plurality of T-shaped slots (13) which engage astrip (14) with slots on the row of gates, and the lower side of theboxes is provided with an L-shaped strip (15) where the free flange isconfigured with slots (16), and a row of T-shaped slots (17) areprovided on the upper side in the long side opposite the row of gates,so that when the two boxes are slid from the side on to the upper side(7) of the lower part, the two sets of slots (13, 14; 16, 17) aremutually engaged, whereby the lower part (2) and the boxes (5, 6), whichconstitute the upper part, are mutually locked.
 8. A control boxaccording to claim 2, wherein the slots along the long side of the lowerpart are provided with releasable snap lock connections.
 9. A controlbox according to claim 1, in order to lock the plugs to the lower part(2), including a beam-shaped locking element (18) with recesses (19)which can just accommodate the outer end of the plugs, and the beam maybe slid from the side inwards over the row of gates (3) with the plugsand be secured in a snap lock connection to the lower part (2), wherebythe plugs are locked against unintentional withdrawal.